2020-2021 ALA M#10 (Memorial) 2021 ALA Virtual Membership Meeting and Annual Council Meeting

A Memorial Resolution Honoring Dr. Vartan Gregorian

Whereas the American Library Association (ALA) lost a valued colleague on April 13, 2021, with the death of Dr. Vartan Gregorian;

Whereas Gregorian received his dual PhD in history and humanities, Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts in history and humanities from ; Gregorian was born to Armenian parents in , and came to America in 1956 to study at Stanford University;

Whereas Gregorian was a distinguished educator, scholar and administrator in higher education, in a public library system and in philanthropy; Gregorian was an author of numerous publications; he served as the President of the Public Library (NYPL) from 1981- 1989; President of from 1989-1997; and President of Carnegie Corporation of New York from 1997-2021;

Where as Gregorian served as the President of NYPL and under his leadership, he expanded services and engagements; advocated against budget cuts during these challenging times; and raised over $10 million to fund and support major renovations and acquisitions of collections with a focus on multilingual and multicultural materials; The NYPL recognized his contributions to the city as “immeasurable”; and

Whereas Gregorian was a recipient of numerous awards, fellowships and honorary doctorates for his accomplishments; Gregorian was awarded the National Humanities Medal in 1998, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004; and France’s Chevalier of the Legion of Honor in 2017; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, that the American Library Association (ALA), on behalf of its members: 1. recognizes the significant contributions and accomplishments of Dr. Vartan Gregorian over the course of his career and mourns his death; and 2. extends its sincerest condolences to his friends and family.

Mover: Raymond Pun, ALA Councilor at Large

Seconder: Melissa Cardenas-Dow, ALA Councilor at Large

Version: April 18, 2021 – 10:00 am PT